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The XII Commonwealth Games will take place between 4-15 April on the Gold Coast, Australia.

The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) will welcome more than 6,600 athletes and team officials from 70 Commonwealth nations and territories to the Gold Coast and event cities Brisbane, Cairns and Townsville, to share in the celebration of sport, entertainment and culture.

The largest sporting event to be staged in Australia this decade, GC2018 will feature the largest integrated sports program in Commonwealth Games history, comprising 18 sports and seven para-sports.

Beach Volleyball, Para Triathlon and Women’s Rugby Sevens will make their Commonwealth Games debuts and for the first time at a Commonwealth Games, an equal number of men’s and women’s medal events will be contested.

The Commonwealth is a collective of independent sovereign states spread across every continent and ocean and makes up to 30% of the worlds population. From Asia to Africa and beyond, the Commonwealth is composed of a rich variety of faiths, races, languages, cultures and traditions.

Countries participating in Commonwealth Games 2018

Anguilla

Antigua and Barbuda

Australia (host nation)

Bahamas

Bangladesh

Barbados

Belize

Bermuda

Botswana

British Virgin Islands

Brunei

Cameroon

Canada

Cayman Islands

Cook Islands

Cyprus

Dominica

England

Falkland Islands

Fiji

Ghana

Gibraltar

Grenada

Guernsey

Guyana

India

Isle of Man

Jamaica

Jersey

Kenya

Kiribati

Lesotho

Malawi

Malaysia

Malta

Mauritius

Montserrat

Mozambique

Namibia

Nauru

New Zealand

Nigeria

Niue

Norfolk Island

Northern Ireland

Pakistan

Papua New Guinea

Rwanda

Saint Helena

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Samoa

Scotland

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Singapore

Solomon Islands

South Africa

Sri Lanka

Swaziland

Tanzania

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Turks and Caicos Islands

Tuvalu

Uganda

Vanuatu

Wales

Zambia

The current regulations state that from the 26 approved sports administered by Commonwealth Governing Bodies, a minimum of ten core sports and maximum of seventeen sports must be included in any Commonwealth Games schedule.

Integrated disabled competitions are also scheduled for the Games in nine sports: swimming, athletics, cycling, table tennis, cycling, power-lifting and lawn bowls. Along these events for the first time EAD events in triathlon will be held, with the medals being added to the final tally for each nation. A record 38 para events will be contested at these games. On 8 March 2016, Beach Volleyball was announced as the 18th sport.

The program will be broadly similar to that of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, with the major changes being the dropping of judo, the reintroduction of basketball, the debut of women's rugby sevens and beach volleyball.

On 7 October 2016, it was announced seven new events for women were added to the sport program, meaning there will be an equal number of events for men and women. This marks the first time in history that a major multi-sport event will have equality in terms of events. In total 275 events in 18 sports will be contested.

Sports

Aquatics

Diving

Swimming

Athletics

Badminton

Basketball

Beach volleyball

Boxing

Cycling

Mountain biking

Road

Track

Gymnastics

Artistic Gymnastics

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Hockey

Lawn bowls

Netball

Rugby sevens

Shooting

Squash

Table tennis

Triathlon

Weightlifting

Powerlifting

Wrestling

Commonwealth Games 2018 FAQs

When will the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) be held?

The Gold Coast will host the Commonwealth Games from 4-15 April in 2018.

Who is organising the Commonwealth Games this year?

The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) have the role to plan, organise and deliver GC2018, working alongside the Commonwealth Games Federation, Australian Commonwealth Games Association, Federal and Queensland Government and the Gold Coast City Council.

Where will the Games be held?

Events will predominately be held at venues on the Gold Coast. Some events will also be held in Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns.

What sports will be contested at Commonwealth Games 2018?

Eighteen sports and 7 Paralympic sports will be contested this year.

Where should I stay during the Games?

The Gold Coast is rich in accommodation options with many great places to stay. To view information about the Gold Coast including where to stay, places to see and things to do, visit the Gold Coast Tourismwebsite or call 1300 309 440.

History of the Commonwealth Games

From 4-15 April, 2018, the Gold Coast will create its own slice of history when it hosts the 21st Commonwealth Games.

It will be the fifth time Australia has staged the Commonwealth Games following Sydney (1938), Perth (1962), Brisbane (1982) and Melbourne (2006) – making Australia the nation that has hosted the most number of Games.

Significantly, GC2018 will mark the first time a Commonwealth Games will be held in a regional Australian city.

he Commonwealth Games have been conducted by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) every four years (except for 1942 and 1946 due to World War II) since the first British Empire Games were held in Hamilton, Canada in 1930.

There have been many magical moments witnessed at the Commonwealth Games over the years, including the famous “Miracle Mile” at the 1954 Games when England’s Roger Bannister and Australian John Landy created history by both breaking the four-minute mile in a race.

A key player in the staging of the first Commonwealth Games was sports reporter and administrator Melville Marks (Bobby) Robinson, who helped bring to reality what Commonwealth nations had been dreaming about for three decades.

Since then, the Games have grown from an event featuring 11 countries and 400 athletes to a modern sporting spectacular that includes 70 nations and territories and over 6,600 athletes and team officials.

Important change has also been made in gender equity over the years, with GC2018 set to mark the first time in the history of a major multi-sport Games that there will be an equal number of medal events for men and women.

The size and format of the sporting competition has also grown over the years.

Up until the late 1990s, there had only ever been single competition sports before the introduction of hockey (men and women), netball (women) and rugby 7’s (men) at the Kuala Lumpur Games in 1998.

It wasn’t until eight years later at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006 that basketball was introduced.

GC2018 will see the first ever Beach Volleyball competition on the Gold Coast – a fitting inclusion for the globally renowned beachside destination.

But the Commonwealth Games are more than just about competition.

They aim to unite the Commonwealth family through sport.

The Games reflect the CGF’s core values of humanity, equality and destiny.

They bring together members of the Commonwealth of nations to compete on a level playing field in a spirit of friendship and fair play often referred to as the ‘friendly games’.

The Commonwealth

The Commonwealth is a collective of diverse nations spread across every continent and ocean and makes up to 30% of the world’s population. From Asia to Africa and beyond, the Commonwealth is composed of a rich variety of faiths, races, languages, cultures and traditions.

The Commonwealth Games is a unique, world class, multi-sport event that is held once every four years and is often referred to as the ‘Friendly Games’. The Commonwealth Games brings together the members of the Commonwealth of Nations in an effort to raise the bar of sport for all humanity and provide a level playing field where athletes compete in a spirit of friendship and fair play.

There are a total of 53 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, including a number of British overseas territories, Crown dependencies and island states who compete under their own flag. England, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Jersey, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all send separate teams to compete in the Games.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is the organisation that is responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games. As a means of improving society and the general well-being of the people of the Commonwealth, the CGF also encourages and assists education via sport development and physical recreation.

Underlying every decision made by the CGF are three core values:

Humanity

Equality

Destiny

These values help to inspire and unite millions of people and symbolise the broad mandate of the CGF within the Commonwealth. The main element of the Commonwealth Games brand is ‘The Bar’.

A symbol that represents the Games’ effort to raise the bar of sports and level the playing field where athletes can come to complete in a spirit of friendship and fair play. It also acts as a collective aspiration for the whole of the Commonwealth and is something that will be present during the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Motto

The official motto for the 2018 Commonwealth Games is "Share the Dream". It was chosen to highlight the dreams and experience at the games that were shared by participants of the games, ranging from athletes to volunteers and the host country Australia to the world including the Commonwealth nations.

Emblem

The emblem of the 2018 Commonwealth Games is a sihoulette of the skyline and landscape of Gold coast, the host city of the games. It was chosen to represent the vibrancy, warmth, friendliness, energy and joy in the city, as well as the competitive spirit of the athletes who are welcomed to the city to participate in the games.

Mascot

Borobi was named as the mascot of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in 2016. Borobi is a blue koala, with indigenous markings on its body. The term "borobi" is an Aboriginal term for koala.